Voices in Recovery

Step Two: Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.

At an early age I came to believe that, if I tried hard enough and prayed long enough I could mend my relationships — and yours as well. In trying to be a a perfect friend, I didn't realize that perfection is not only impossible but is a sure way to neurosis.

Working with Step 2 has brought me a renewed understanding of God and God's will for me. I now realize that, in my early years, well-intentioned teachers and family members steered me onto a dangerous "moral" path, a path that caused me to stumble in my efforts at love and forgiveness. And it made the "fearless moral inventory" of Step 4 more difficult, too.

As I continue to grow into Step 2, I see forgiveness more sanely than I was conditioned to see it. The "moral high ground" I now seek makes forgiveness of myself and others a realizable goal.

Join us on November 12, when I will share more about these issues. ~Mary W.

My initial surrender to alcoholism brought about a sufficient willingness to give AA a try, which pretty quickly led to the belief that AA could solve my alcohol problem. What a miracle. And even though surrender was a tool that worked, it was a painful experience, so I threw it in the drawer as soon as I was done with it.

If we stay sober, living life on life's terms means we will be given more opportunities for surrender and willingness to believe. And while belief alone isn't enough to bring about recovery and serenity, it is the essential starting point.

On November 12, I will share my experience with Centering Prayer and Step Two. It’s been a gradual journey, spurred mainly by "the deliberate manufacture of misery" on my part. Today it’s leading me to a realization of the promise that "we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try."~Adam G.